ESA declares the Sentinel-1B mission over after payload resuscitation ends
All of which leaves ESA with a spacecraft that is pretty much fully functional aside from its payload. Though it seems a shame, a safe disposal is the most likely option, once Sentinel-1C is safely in orbit."Due to manpower operational constraints," explained ESA,"the execution of the Sentinel-1B disposal cannot take place in parallel to the Sentinel-1A operations and to the Sentinel-1C related activities.
"The risk is low," he went on,"but there's always the threat of an Enivsat-like catastrophic failure that would limit our ability to deorbit. That would of course expose us to justifiable criticism about why we didn't deorbit the dead spacecraft earlier." Since the deorbit process will be a lengthy one, there is also the opportunity for some tests"on the way down."
ESA has a long history of keeping spacecraft going way past their expiration date. However, with the payload of Sentinel-1B declared inoperative the agency is taking a responsible stance regarding disposal and debris. Certain otherStill though…my
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